Cornwall academic awarded prize for conservation contribution

Professor Brendan Godley from the Cornwall Campus has been awarded a prestigious prize from the Zoological Society of London for his outstanding contributions to conservation science.

Professor Godley was awarded the 2011 ZSL Marsh Award for Marine and Freshwater Conservation at a ceremony at the Zoological Society of London on 19 June.

The award is given in recognition of outstanding contributions to conservation science. Based at the University's Centre for Ecology and Conservation Professor Godley is known worldwide for his work on marine turtle conservation, in particular, furthering our understanding of their complex life histories and migration strategies. He played a lead role in developing the online Satellite Tracking Analysis Tool (STAT), now used all over the world, to track over 7,000 individuals of 113 species in 300 projects.

He has published over 130 peer-reviewed papers, and has demonstrated an enormous commitment to outreach and the public understanding of science, securing almost £4 million of research income in just over a decade. In recent years he has widened his interests to include sustainable fisheries, and the ecological impacts of marine renewable energy resources and climate change.

At the awards ceremony, Professor Godley was presented with a cheque for £1,000, kindly sponsored by the Marsh Christian Trust.

Professor Brendan Godley said: “I am honoured to receive the ZSL Marsh Award for Marine and Freshwater Conservation which I share with my many students and long-term collaborators in fishing communities, conservation organisations and universities around the world As my research moves increasingly into looking at the effects of fishing and climate change on populations of sea turtles around the globe, it is especially pleasing to have the opportunity to raise the profile of these fascinating animals by winning this prestigious award.”